Upper Austria expands fibre access, but take-up remains low

Fibre broadband was available to nearly half of homes and businesses in Upper Austria by the end of 2025, but few available connections are being used, ORF reported.

Availability rose from just over 40 per cent to nearly 49 per cent in a year, putting Upper Austria third among Austria’s nine states, behind Vienna and Tyrol. The national average was about 46 per cent, according to figures from Open Fiber Austria.

The association says continued public funding is needed to support expansion. About a quarter of federal funding, which currently totals more than two billion euros, goes to Upper Austria.

Getting people to switch remains a challenge. Across Austria, only about one in five available fibre connections is in use. Open Fiber Austria cites existing cable connections, mobile internet and reluctance to pay more for faster speeds as reasons.